ABSTRACT:Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of cognitive disturbances in Nigerian Africans with newly diagnosed epilepsy, prior to onset of drug therapy.Methods:A total of 60 consecutive patients (mean age 31.6 ± 17.4, range 14 - 55 years) presenting with a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy were recruited for the study. Sixty healthy volunteers without a history of epilepsy and who were age-, sex- and level of education matched with the epileptic patients, were recruited as controls. The administration of cognitive tests was done with the FePsy computerized neuropsychological test battery. The tests administered were the visual and auditory reaction times, the continuous performance test and the recognition memory tests to assess mental speed, attention and memory respectively. The means of the cognitive performances of the epileptic patients and controls were statistically compared.Results:Epileptic patients performed worse than the controls across the spectrum of cognitive tasks assessed (P = 0.00001; P < 0.025), with the exception of the β parameter (response bias) of the vigilance test (P = 0.488; P> 0.025).Conclusions:The cognitive impairments of short-term memory, psychomotor speed and sustained attention observed in this study are similar to those reported in the literature for patients with epilepsy. The results of this study will be useful in the counseling of patients on their educational, social and vocational needs.

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Seasonal outbreaks of an acute ataxic syndrome occur annually in parts of South‐Western Nigeria, characterized by cerebellar ataxia, nystagmus and varying levels of impaired consciousness following consumption of the roasted larvae of Anaphe venata Butler (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae). An investigation of an epidemic in Ikare, headquarters of the Akoko north‐east local Government in Western Nigeria (pop. 60,000) in the 1993 disease season is reported. The diagnosis of seasonal ataxia was verified in 34 consecutive new admissions (M:F 1: 3.25, median age 29 years, range 2–70 years). All were of low socio‐economic status, and had consumed the larvae of Anaphe venata prior to the onset of disease. There were 1,126 admissions for the seasonal ataxic syndrome in Ikare in the 1993 season, with an estimated attack rate of 1.87%. The peak incidence was in August, when patients with the syndrome accounted for 71% of all hospital admissions. There was no mortality. Control measures included therapy with high‐potency multivitamins and health education.

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Study objective -The study aimed to evaluate the impact of focused health education on the hospital prevalence of a seasonal ataxic syndrome which occurs exclusively in people of low income after eating the larvae ofAnaphe venata Butler (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae). Design -Retrospective impact evaluation study. Setting -Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesha, western Nigeria from where the syndrome was first described. Methods -Hospital workers were informed of recent research findings on the aetiological role of Anaphe venata larvae consumption in the annual epidemics of seasonal ataxia. They were encouraged to educate hospital patients and their relatives and to ask them to pass this information to neighbours and other family members who are usually of the same social strata. The number of admissions for seasonal ataxia in the pre-intervention years (1990 and 1991) and in the intervention years (1992 and 1993) were extracted from records. The toal number of casualty admissions between July and November ofeach year were also obtained. The period prevalence rates of the disease in each year of the study period were calculated and compared. Results -The pre-intervention prevalence rates were 1*27% and 1-59% for 1990 and 1991 respectively. The prevalence rates in the intervention years of 1992